I enjoyed my time in Amsterdam. I wasn't sure what to think before I went, but I found it made a for a really good relaxed city break, and if you're careful it can be a cheap trip too!
Transport
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| Bikes and canals |
Everyone says the best way to get around Amsterdam is of course by bike, but we opted to walk around, and it really didn't take that long to get from A to B, so if you want to save a little money or you're not a keen cyclist than just walk! There are of course trams and buses but as the city isn't that big and the sights all quite central we didn't need to use these. We became very lazy and didn't partake in a walking tour as we had planned which I do regret as I imagine it would have been good, however we did splash out (literally) on a canal boat cruise and it was honestly quite nice just to sit back and relax and be taken around instead of walking, although due to the price it's not something I would usually do.
Sightseeing
I think one of the most important attractions is the
Anne Frank House, which houses the attic where Anne and her family hid during WWII, and from where she wrote her famous diary. It is obviously very popular and gets very busy so it's best to book in advance through the website and get an allotted time slot at which to go. I found it very poignant but also a little disappointing...the rooms were all empty but some did have photographs of recreations of what they would have looked like. Apparently this was at the wishes of her father who didn't want them to furnish the rooms so I feel bad criticizing it, it's just not quite what I had expected when I had planned to visit.
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| Clogs |
Some of the other main highlights include the Van Gogh museum and a few other art museums, but I have absolutely no, and I really mean no, interest in art so there was no way I was shelling out for the expensive entry fee. The
Heineken Experience is also quite a popular tourist attraction and my sister went another time and said it was good, however my friends weren't interested in going and I was happy saving my money anyway so we didn't visit. We did the Amsterdam Dungeons which was good fun, but I realise that it is quite a cheesy attraction and not for everyone's taste. It's worth noting it's a little cheaper to book this online.
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| Red Light District |
Of course we all know what are the most famous attractions in Amsterdam....drugs and hookers. We were an all-female group so there was no chance we were going to partake in an hour with a lovely woman, but we did have good fun walking around the Red Light District and I will admit that the vast majority of the women in the windows were gorgeous so I can see the temptation. I'm going to say I am too cool to do drugs of any kind so I didn't visit any of the special weed cafés, but my other friends visited before and said the "moon cakes" and "space brownies" tasted disgusting and had a very gritty, sandy texture. There is a definite smell of the wacky tabaccy when you're walking around the streets so if you really don't like it then obviously Amsterdam is not a good place to visit for you.
As for more cultural things, there are tons of little towns and villages close to Amsterdam which are easily accessible by train. We visited
Zaanse Schans which is famous for it's windmills. It was a short trip on the train and the ticket was very cheap. Although the weather was a bit on the cold and damp side when we visited, the area was very pretty with lots of little tourist shops and cafés. There is also a cocoa factory there so when you get off the train there is a sweet chocolate-y smell in the air which is very unusual!
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| A windmill at Zaanse Schans |
Shopping
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| Cheese |
Of course the Netherlands is very famous for clogs so you'll find lots of these everywhere, but you'll also find lots of cheese shops and flowers as well, especially tulips. We visited the flower market but it was a bit of a let down, just lots of stalls with primarily seeds, but perhaps this is because we visited in November and it was out of season. My friends took home some cheese, but I just opted to pop into every cheese shop around and stuff my face with the delicious testers.
Also just in case: don't be a fool and try take any weed home with you ;)
